My car is five years old, still going strong and I think there is enough life in it to last a few more years. Before making the purchase, there were a couple of things I kept in mind — is there a reasonably large network of service centres and enthusiasts who can address niggling problems, and the second factor involved reliability.
The same goes for phones. That obviously raises the question about the phone of my choice. Two iPhones: iPhone 12 and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s not necessarily about buying the most expensive phone in the market; it’s about going after a configuration that will last and suit your needs. A relative of mine refuses to part with his iPhone XS, even if that has undergone battery replacement surgery. The phone simply works.
Why am I even talking about this? Apple’s share in the Indian market continues to increase for several reasons. (According to research firm IDC, Apple’s iPhone was the best-selling smartphone series over the course of 2023 globally.) Not that everyone is buying the latest and greatest but Apple has enough options to offer. There’s a substantial range. Say you want an iPhone 12 or an iPhone SE, go ahead because software upgrades are keeping these devices up to date, besides the durability factor. Not that Apple doesn’t have its set of quirks but the overall experience is consistently superior. At the same time, the resell value of any Apple product continues to be the best among all tech companies.
It’s about consistency
Before exchanging notes on reliability, let’s address consistency. Here’s what most iPhone users will tell you: Each edition of the phone works with a large degree of consistency because Apple produces each and every iPhone, unlike Android phones that are manufactured by several OEMs, making your experience (and quality) vastly different on each Android phone.
For the majority, a gadget simply needs to make life and work easier. Bells and whistles like lock-screen customisation can wait and nobody cares as long as their favourite picture can be turned into a wallpaper. When you combine the phone with your smartwatch, laptop and tablet, bumpy roads can come your way unless there is some semblance of consistency.
There was a time when the iPhone and MacBook formed a great combination for me but then age came calling, so keeping track of health metrics using the Apple Watch has become a part of life. Plus, there’s the AirPod. When combined, moving between Apple products is seamless.
Let me give you an example of inconsistency. Do the words “flagship” and “1080p” go hand in hand? A few days ago, I was reviewing the premium Android phone, which comes for over 85K. Yet, it’s packed with unnecessary applications but worse, there is no 4K recording on the front camera.
A love that lasts
If you are new to buying a phone, here’s something you need to remember: Life is about memories and documents. There are pictures to be taken, documents to be saved, videos to be shot and health metrics that need to be at your fingertips.
The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max come with a titanium body making it light and sturdy
Android phone manufacturers can be inconsistent with software upgrades. One company will “promise” you six years of OS upgrades even if the chip can’t handle workload after two-three years, another company will promise you two years of software upgrades but then you begin to miss out on new features.
The iPhone gets software upgrades consistently, no matter the phone you have, be it iPhone 11 or iPhone 15 Pro. Of course, don’t expect a power-draining new feature to come to an iPhone XS. You are sure to get upgrades for five-six years and after that engineers continue to at least offer important security upgrades for quite some time.
Longevity also comes in the form of material. Lately, I have been using the iPhone 15 Pro Max without a cover. Daring? It’s more like faith in titanium. The iPhone 12 has taken a few drops but it has survived without scratches. But I suggest a protective case to extend a device’s life. To protect your device further, the company has an excellent programme called AppleCare that gives you peace of mind.
It’s one of the few companies that allow you to wait a long time before you upgrade. At the time of purchasing an upgrade, buy the best possible and keep it for as long as you can. For most iPhone users, the upgrade cycle has been becoming longer and longer because of the brilliant build quality and software upgrade. Since I write on tech, I need to get the latest phone but my friends are happy with phones from 2020-21.
Unless a phone offers you a feature that will make a difference to your workflow — for example, using USB-C and shooting ProRes videos on the iPhone 15 Pro — keep that old iPhone going. In fact, photographers are exploring how far they can take the camera system on the new iPhone. Through a deep integration of hardware and software, the advanced camera systems on both pack the equivalent of seven pro lenses. We are not joking. It’s three cameras and the other lenses are field of view, making up seven lenses. You get macro, 13mm ultra-wide f/2.2, 24mm f/1.78 main camera, a. 28mm and 35mm FOV shift from that main camera, the 2x 48mm equivalent FOV from the previous iPhone, and finally either 77mm f/2.8 on the iPhone 15 Pro or the new 120mm f/2.8 which comes only on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Rich in features
The economy has taken a hit over the last few years and the overall smartphone market continues to decline. Yet, the share of iPhone users continues to grow and that too without discounting prices, which is something Android phone manufacturers do heavily. Apple manufactures its products and allows all the features to work with one another. Be it the deeply-interactive iMessage service or AirDrop, which allows you to transfer large files among Apple devices in the blink of an eye, or the very steady FaceTime audio/video call solution, it’s all there. No wonder, a vast majority of iPhone users remain with Apple year after year.
Psst… privacy!
Privacy has been at the heart of Apple products for a very long time. Recently, two of my colleagues switched over to the iPhone simply because of better privacy. Just to touch on a feature to show how far Apple takes the topic seriously, there is something called Lockdown Mode, which the company calls an “extreme, optional” level of protection. The feature hardens an iPhone, iPad or Mac’s defences to thwart all compromises. It blocks many message attachment types, turns off certain web browsing technology by default and even blocks invitations and FaceTime calls from unknown sources.
With all the iPhones that’s available now, you are spoilt for choice. Say you are getting the iPhone 13 with a 6.1-inch display. Also there: an excellent set of cameras, MagSafe charging, great storage capacity, features like Cinematic Mode and a powerful processor. What more can you ask for? Or get the iPhone 15 Pro Max with titanium body, USB-C charging, 5x telephoto zoom, ProRes video recording… things that will see you through for many years. No wonder, the iPhone retains excellent recall (and resale) value even though it first appeared in 2007.